Cambridge Office For Tourism Inc

ALL DESTINATION MARKETING, PUBLIC RELATIONS, AND VISITOR SERVICES FOR THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPLEMENTED SEVERAL PROJECTS UTILIZING THE BOSTON-CAMBRIDGE TOURISM DESTINATION MARKETING DISTRICT (BCTDMD) FUNDING. THE FORMATION OF AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE COMPRISED OF CAMBRIDGE HOTELIERS HELPED ACCOMPLISH THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS: A. DATA RESEARCH PROJECT-PAST AND POTENTIAL VISITORS: HIRED DESTINATION ANALYSTS, A HIGHLY RESPECTED DATA RESEARCH FIRM, TO DEVELOP A PROFILE OF PAST AND POTENTIAL VISITORS TO CAMBRIDGE. THIS WAS DONE IN TWO PHASES--QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE--TO DETERMINE WHO HAS ACTUALLY VISITED CAMBRIDGE IN THE PAST 12 MOS, WHY THEY COME, WHAT THEY DO WHEN THEY ARE HERE. THE OTHER SET OF SUBJECTS SURVEYED WERE POTENTIAL VISITORS TO DETERMINE IF THEY PLAN A VISIT IN THE FUTURE, WHY THEY MAY COME, WHAT ARE THEIR IMPRESSIONS OF CAMBRIDGE IN A NUMBER OF KEY AREAS, ETC. ALL OF THIS IS BEING DONE IN ADVANCE OF AND TO INFORM OUR BRANDING AND MEDIA PLAN FOR THE FUTURE. B. BRANDING AND CORPORATE ID: BEGAN THE PROCESS TO CHOOSE AN AGENCY THAT WILL DEVELOP CAMBRIDGE OFFICE FOR TOURISM'S NEW CORPORATE BRAND FOR USE AT TRADE SHOWS, CONSUMER SHOWS AND MEDIA EVENTS. C. EXPEDIA ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN: EXECUTED AN ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN THROUGH EXPEDIA FOR HOTEL BOOKINGS THAT HAD RESULTED IN $650,000 OF GROSS BOOKINGS FOR THE WINTER. PLANS ARE UNDERWAY FOR A LARGER CAMPAIGN THAT WILL INCLUDE BOOKING.COM. D. SPONSORSHIPS: THROUGH THE TDMD FUNDING, CAMBRIDGE OFFICE FOR TOURISM HAS BEEN ABLE TO OFFER MORE SPONSORSHIPS THAT BRING BUSINESS TO CAMBRIDGE HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, ATTRACTIONS AND RETAIL SHOPS. THIS YEAR WE SPONSORED THE HEAD OF THE CHARLES REGATTA WITH A "SPECIFIC USE" SPONSORSHIP THAT WOULD HELP PAY FOR HOTEL ROOMS FOR THE UKRANIAN NATIONAL TEAM TO COMPETE IN THE HOCR. OTHER SPONSORSHIPS THIS YEAR INCLUDE THE INNOVATION TRAIL CAMBRIDGE, DINING PASSPORT PROGRAM, CAMBRIDGE JAZZ FESTIVAL,AND THE SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL.

BUSINESS ASSOCIATION GRANT PROGRAM - THE CAMBRIDGE OFFICE FOR TOURISM WAS PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE A GRANT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE CAMBRIDGE BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS WITH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AS THEY CONTINUE TO RECOVER FROM THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC. THE INTENT OF THE GRANTS WAS TO SUPPORT THE BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS AND ENABLE THEM TO EXECUTE THE SIGNATURE FAIRS, FESTIVALS, AND EVENTS THAT SHOWCASE THE CITY'S DIVERSITY AND ITS RICH CULTURE, AS WELL AS TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ROLE THAT SMALL, LOCAL AND MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES PLAY IN OUR COMMUNITY AND ITSECONOMIC VIABILITY. THEY GIVE THE DESTINATION A SENSE OF PLACE AND A DISTINCT PERSONALITY, FOR BOTH RESIDENTS AS WELL AS VISITORS, AND THEY WILL NEED OUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE THROUGH OUR PATRONAGE AND PROGRAMS TAILORED TO MEET THEIR NEEDS AS WE TRANSITION OUT OF THIS UNPRECEDENTED PERIOD. CAMBRIDGE OFFICE FOR TOURISM AWARDED GRANTS OF $25,000 EACH TO THE FOUR APPLICANTS WHO RESPONDED.

CAMBRIDGE OFFICE FOR TOURISM REPRESENTED AT THE FOLLOWING INTERNAIONAL MEETING PLANNER TRADE SHOWS: IMEX AMERICA IN LAS VEGAS, IBTM WORLD IN BARCELONA, THE MEETINGS SHOW IN LONDON, IMEX IN FRANKFURT,AND DISCOVER NEW ENGLAND IN BOSTON.